I’m sorry to hear about this, this year has been awful and I can’t imagine how it feels. If you ever need a chat, feel free to fire me a message
Likewise whatever we can do to help - once you have this illness it’s always with you but the trick is to be aware and take action as soon as you feel it attempting to claw into you
Based on my own personal and direct experience of depression - I don't believe that I'm ever going to be over the top happy, some of that I put down to genetics as I have family members who have had depression and the rest I believe is down to significant loss and trauma over the years (I suppose it's some form of PTSD) I just want to be on a reasonably even keel and know what of peace of mind is - I'll be content with that. It's absolutely vital that you keep talking about it - depression just wants to isolate people and take them to very dark places
If you're asking about depression/psychological issues specifically: I have it, my uncle has it, my father had it and I have a number of cousins with psychological problems (schizophrenia, depression, anxiety) I had my first episode around 1991, next episode was 1994, then 2002, then 2008 and it got me again this year
I was off the pills for a long time Clarky (about 8-9 years I think) but back on them now - 2020 what a 'beauty'....
I've not been on here as frequently in the last couple of weeks because (you've guessed it) the Big D has awakened from it's slumber and decided to come calling. I've stayed on my meds but the last couple of weeks, I've noticed those bad feelings and crawling anxiety start to worm their way in to me. I've asked the doctor (shrink) to change my meds and I've just started on a new anti-depressant because along with everything else the SSRI I was taking has caused me to gain weight even though I exercise 4-5 times a week. I still go to my self-help group and do my bloody best to fight the bast@rd but it's not easy - I always believed and from what I read and heard, depression tends to back off as you get older but of course I would have to buck the trend. I'm bone weary from it chaps.
You're a feckin hero for talking about it man, I was only thinking I hadn't seen you posting lately. Are you getting out into the fresh air?
I'm no hero T. quite the opposite actually - I've been doing a few bits and pieces to the Jeep and a few jobs around the house but I won't lie Brother it ain't easy
The ironic thing is I've been able to help/assist and support people through all sorts of crises (including depression) but by f**k the last person I can help is myself. I post just to be open and transparent about it (not always a very Irish trait in fairness) and hopefully shine a bit of light for anyone else on here who may be going through this scourge.
Ok, i can slag the shit out of you, and tease you mercilessly if you prefer. Just like a normal Irish man lol. I bully my self into doing something to one of the projects when I'm struggling, or ring one of the best mates.
Well to be fair to my good wife - she gets me out and gives me jobs and I would generally tip away myself when the form lets me, my best mate is in Ireland and to be honest I don't even know what I could say to him that he hasn't said to me already - this illness is by it's very nature a lonely one but one foot in front of the other, one minute to another as they say.
Not something I share with many as I saw myself as weak by getting depressed... happened to me what seems a lifetime ago I was 25 at the time now I'm 50.two years of hell and lost everything my job,my house,my girlfriend at the time she couldnt deal with it.but with the right people around me and the right meds I got past it and it's never returned.all I can say from my own episode is it was very odd.and now look back almost in denial that it happened at all.its like it happened to someone else.hard to explain. I rarely talk about it but it happened and I'm not embarrassed to share it now.
Read all this from page 1 and found many good idea's and found it rather helpful,time to put my hand up as I have had this for 25+years and can honestly say I have endured the full experience of this horrible condition. Pretty much had a great life always in a high payed job as marine engineer and freehold house ,2 amazing kids and the best wife anyone could ask for then the "shit hit the fan" when my wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2013,I had to quit my job to nurse her and 13months later she passed away....really things have never come right and find it rather hard to cope since then. Crashed and burned recently and on different meds now but IMO its like a bandage for a broken leg but hopefully moving to a better space and time will tell.
June 2006 I got a head injury, a year later a breakdown, ever since depressed. It. Is. Shit. Good phases are so easy to fall off, and bad ones are difficult to climb out of. Still, changed the meds recently which helped, well, until Covid put me on my backside and here I am cancelling jobs so I can hide at home.